Japan News, Japan Features - Page 4 of 23

High octane

Capcom’s fascinating Lost Planet spin-off EX Troopers is set to glide onto Japanese store shelves on 22nd November, the publisher has announced. There are currently no plans for a Western release of the intriguing anime-inspired PS3 title, which boasts co-op multiplayer and a gorgeous cel-shaded visual style. Yeah, we're pretty bummed...

Pay as you go

Lumines Electronic Symphony developer Q Entertainment has announced that it's bringing its free-to-play RPG Guardian Hearts Online to Japanese PlayStation Vitas this month. The title – which is currently only available for mobile platforms – is “a sprite-based, command-driven RPG where you hire other players as your NPCs”...

Back to life

What does a pretty Japanese lady applying make-up have to do with the recently announced Yakuza 1 & 2 HD Edition? Well, yeah, we suppose there’s a metaphor in there – but either way, it’s still a strange way to kick-off a trailer designed to promote a handful of upcoming PS3 re-masters. The video includes footage of the...

Out of the park

There are eight PSP titles on this week’s Japanese sales chart. The ageing handheld proved that there's still life in its elderly legs by outpacing the Vita by a few thousand units. We’re not sure whether that’s a sign of the PSP’s continued relevance, or the dismal state of Sony's latest platform. Still, despite the sheer...

What a rogue

Chunsoft's roguelike dungeon RPG Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer 4 is making the trip over to PSP in Japan this October. The game originally came out on Nintendo DS a couple of years ago, but now it's coming over to Sony's handheld as Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer 4+. That all-important extra symbol is for the three new...

Yup

It’s been a while since we last got a look at Namco Bandai’s Monster Hunter-inspired handheld sequel, God Eater 2. Many assumed that the title had switched platforms to Vita (or 3DS), but according to a feature in this week’s Famitsu magazine, it’s still in development for PSP. There have been a few changes since the game’s last...

Stick it

Namco Bandai has released a larger shot of Hori's upcoming Tekken Tag Tournament 2 arcade stick. The peripheral will hit shelves on the 13th September, the same day as the game's release in Japan. It will retail for ¥14,800, which roughly translates to £122. Will you be picking one up?

Insect armageddon

Not content with the upcoming Earth Defense Forces 3 Portable for PlayStation Vita, D3 Publisher has announced a fourth entry in the popular bug bashing series. The sequel – which is currently only confirmed for Japan – was revealed via a teaser website overnight. While the title is unlikely to skip on a Western release, the...

Treading water

The PlayStation Vita sold just 11k units in Japan last week, despite a minor resurgence the period prior. The release of the crystal white hardware variation had catapulted the relatively new system beyond recent disappointment, but with no new notable titles on the horizon, the portable plummeted back towards below-par pastures. To...

Forever alone

Sony’s upcoming Monster Hunter-esque Vita exclusive Soul Sacrifice is designed to be played with other people. But the dark fantasy title will also boast a single-player mode, allowing you to progress alongside AI allies. When alone, you’ll be able to bring two computer controlled party members with you. One such character is...

Woah ho ho ho

The release of the crystal white PlayStation Vita in Japan didn’t do a lot to improve the ailing system’s sales, but it did push the platform back above the 22k units threshold. The handheld was actually the second best selling console of the week, with Nintendo’s 3DS way out in the lead. Pokémon continued its rule of the...

Pomeranian power

It turns out there is a sizeable audience for niche titles. Sony has announced that the brilliant Tokyo Jungle has already exceeded 200,000 sales in the region – a sum which is wholly unexpected for a game of its, well, unusual nature. The figure takes into account the title’s digital and retail sales, and is correct as of 22nd...

Play beyond

While those of us in the West have been happily lapping up PlayStation 2 content via our PS3s for months, Japan has been forced to wait in the sidelines. Well, until now anyway. SCEJ held a special press event overnight dedicated to revealing the expansion of its “Game Archives” line. The PS2 Archives will open on 25th July,...

Erm

Sony has revealed its latest PlayStation Vita commercial for Japan. The campaign – which was teased earlier in the week – shows local celebrity Shigeru Matsuzaki strumming an acoustic guitar while a Crystal White PlayStation Vita obscures his face. The commercial then closes with the tagline “it’s getting interesting”, which boasts a...

Boing boing

Last week’s exceptional PlayStation Vita performance was a one-off it seems. With the excitement surrounding Persona 4: The Golden now restored to a reasonable level, the handheld plunged to just 13k units. Not horrific, but far from exceptional either. One hypothesis for the Vita’s relatively sluggish week centres on the imminent...

What?

Sony’s launched a new line of baffling promotional PlayStation posters across Japan. The confusing images – which feature the face of celebrity Shigeru Matsuzaki – are being erected in train stations across the country. The platform holder promises that all will be revealed on the 28th June. That just so happens to be a big day for the...

Everything's golden

Earlier in the year, Sony flagged June as a potentially big month for the PlayStation Vita. Following last week’s minor resurgence, it looks like the platform holder was right on the money, as the release of Persona 4: The Golden has propelled the handheld into a promising position for the first time in months. The Atlus...

Vita sales increase

Sony’s bonkers PlayStation 3 exclusive Tokyo Jungle roared to the top of the Japanese sales charts this week, beating out fierce competition from Dragon Quest Monsters on 3DS. The baffling post-apocalyptic adventure rounded up sales just north of 110k units to secure the number one spot. Elsewhere, PlayStation Vita exclusive...

Learning lessons

The first PlayStation Vita Game Heaven received a lot of negative feedback. The well publicised Japanese event was conceived to stimulate interest in Sony’s struggling handheld, but ended up irritating followers due to its pre-recorded format and lack of surprises. Sony Japan CEO Hiroshi Kawano has promised that the next Game...